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Being an NBA rookie is most closely comparable to a roller-coaster ride, full of inevitable ups and downs. Over the first half of the season, we've seen rookies rise to the top with little sign of struggle, while others have both progressed and regressed during their first few months full of inconsistencies.

While the top three rookies of Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis and Jahlil Okafor have reigned supreme for most of the season, the rest of the pack is an ever-changing assortment of NBA newcomers.

For the first version of what will be a weekly NBA rookie power rankings, here are the top 10 first year players (as of Jan. 19, 2016).

1. Karl-Anthony Towns • Center • Minnesota Timberwolves

Towns has remained the top rookie since the season began, leading all first year players in rebounds while ranking second in player efficiency rating, scoring and blocks.

Porzingis shot the ball at a higher clip than usual last week, with three of his four games over 55% from the field. But, after another strong week, he's listed as questionable for Wednesday's tilt against the Jazz with a foot injury suffered against the 76ers on Monday.

Booker has stepped up for the Suns as of late, ranking second on the team in scoring behind Brandon Knight since Eric Bledsoe went down with a season-ending knee injury, and dropped a career-high 32 points (6-of-11 from three) against the Pacers on Tuesday.

Jokic — the Serbian big man drafted in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft — has been one of the NBA's top bigs in his rookie season, most recently recording 18 points and four steals in a win over the Pacers on Sunday.

Winslow has been the second option for the Heat off the bench this season.(Photo: AP, David Zalubowski)

Despite his noticeable talent on the defensive end, Winslow's contributions have yet to translate to the stat sheet, and it's been even more pronounced over past week, where shot 5-of-15 from the field.

McConnell has been one of the most efficient rookies this season, but has struggled to get substantial playing time for the lowly 76ers, especially after the recent installment of Ish Smith into the lineup.

Johnson put together a solid 19-point performance in a loss to the Grizzlies, but shot 5-of-21 in the other three games, dropping him just out of the top 10 for the week.

Cameron Payne • Point Guard • Oklahoma City Thunder

Payne continues to find time on the floor for the red-hot Thunder, but was held scoreless in both 15 minutes against the Heat on Sunday and in 20 minutes against the Nuggets on Tuesday.

Myles Turner• Power Forward • Indiana Pacers

We haven't seen enough of Turner after he missed most of November and December with a fractured thumb, but he appears to be turning the corner, averaging 16.6 points on 68.7% shooting in the last three games.